Gender awareness week July 2025 Redefining Norms, Redeeming Equality

In view of improving awareness regarding gender issues and the need for gender equality and equity among the students of this faculty, the student wing of the Gender Cell of the Faculty of Medicine (GCFM), University of Jaffna, successfully conducted a gender awareness week for the students in the theme of ‘Redefining Norms, Redeeming Equality’ with the support of the GCFM staff members.

The gender week began on 22.07.2025 with debate competitions on gender issues and ended on 29.07.2025 with a final day celebration.

Following competitions were conducted in selected sub themes;

Poem writing competition was held in all three languages separately on 23.07.2025 in the theme of ‘Voices Unheard: Stories of Gender and Society’; six students participated in Tamil, three in English and one in Sinhala.

Judges for the Tamil poem competition were Ms Kavitha N, Head and Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, Department of Linguistics and English, Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna, Dr Mathanki S, Head and Senior Lecturer, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna and Dr Deneshan P Lecturer, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna; for Sinhala poem competition Mr. S. Wimal, Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna and Dr Ramya K, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna; for English poem competition Ms Timaandra Wijesuriya, Assistant Lecturer in English Literature, Department of Linguistics and English, Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna and Dr Deneshan P, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna.

Cash prizes (10,000 LKR per student) were awarded to the winning student (first place) in all three languages with certificates for the first three places. All the other participants received letters of participation.

The debate competitions covered the themes of ‘Redefining Norms, Redeeming Equality’ in English and Tamil. Unfortunately, we could not conduct Sinhala debate competition this time as only one team had registered. Three teams for English debate competition and four for Tamil participated.

English debate teams were from the 47^th, 46th and 45^th batches. Judges for the English debate competitions were Ms Kavitha N, Head and Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, Department of Linguistics and English, Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna, Ms. Kosalai M, Head and Senior Lecturer, Department of Law, Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna, Ms Timaandra Wijesuriya, Assistant Lecturer in English Literature, Department of Linguistics and English, Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna, Ms Sujatha Samaradiwakara, Lecturer, Department of Law, Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna, Dr Brammah R T, Head, Senior Lecturer and Consultant Nephrologist, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna, Dr B Balagobi, Head, Senior Lecturer and Consultant Urologist, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna, Dr Raguraman S, Senior Lecturer and Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna, and Dr Selliah Pranavan, Consultant JMO and Visiting Lecturer, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna.

Tamil debate teams were from the 47^th, 46^th, 45^th and 44^th batches. Judges for the Tamil debate competitions were Ms Kavitha N, Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna, Ms. Kosalai M, Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna, Dr Brammah R T, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna and Dr B Balagobi, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna.

Cash prizes (15,000 LKR per team) were awarded to the winning teams in the debate and certificates were awarded for top three places. All the other participants received letters of participation.

Final day programme was celebrated on 29.07.2025 (Tuesday) from 5.00 – 7.30 pm at Hoover auditorium. Chief Guest was Dr. Ramani Jayasundere, Director and Senior Technical Advisor, on Justice and Gender Programs at The Asia Foundation’s Sri Lanka office.

The programme started with the welcome speech by President, Organizing Committee, followed by the winning poems in all three languages, dance by the 47^th batch of students, Chief Guest’s speech, final debate competition (English), and awarding, and successfully concluded with the vote of thanks by the Secretary, Organizing Committee. More than 100 students and around five academics attended the final day programme.

This gender awareness week (including the final day programme) was funded by the Jaffna Medical Faculty Oversees Alumni, Canada (accounts attached).

It is hoped, that with the support of the staff and students of the faculty and the Alumni, such gender awareness weeks will continue to be held in helping improve gender equality and that the Gender Cell will provide the support for it.

Acknowledgements:

A big thank you is due to all our students who expressed their talents in such a stimulating and thought-provoking manner in the competitions.

Our sincere thanks to the Jaffna Medical Faculty Overseas Alumni (JMFOA), Canada for the wholehearted support for gender awareness programmes and for fully funding the expenditures of this gender awareness week.

Our thanks to Dr. Ramani Jayasundere, Director and Senior Technical Advisor, on Justice and Gender Programs at The Asia Foundation’s Sri Lanka office who grace the final day celebration as the Chief Guest.

Thanks are also due to our Dean who has wholeheartedly supported the Gender Cell activities.

A big thanks to Mr Gajenthiran and other Dean’s office staff and the supporting staff of Department of Microbiology who supported immensely with the logistics.

My sincere gratitude to the GCFM committee members for their whole hearted support for this gender week programme from the beginning.

An immense thanks to the student wing of the GCFM for suggesting this awareness week and making this gender week a success.